Missile loading tray for breech-loaded gun-launchers



Feb. 7, 1967 J. P. HAINE 3,302,525

MISSILE LOADING TRAY FOR BREECH-LOADED GUN-LAUNCHERS Filed May 6, 1965 James oi United States Patent 3,302,525 MISSILE LOADING TRAY FOR BREECH-LOADED GUN-LAUNCHERS James P. Haine, Santa Ana, Califi, assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed May 6, 1965, Ser. No. 455,042 3 Claims. (Cl. 89-45) This invention relates to artillery, cannon type guns and gun-launchers for guided missiles and more particularly to loading means therefor.

Guns of this type are normally breech loaded and are capable of delivering both a conventional round and a projectile or guided missile having fin or key means. For delivering this type projectile or missile, the firing tube is provided with keyway means to receive and guide said fin or key means.

In the use of guns of this type for delivery of a finned projectile, it is required that the projectile be accurately positioned in the firing tube with a predetermined orientation, i.e., the finned portion of the projectile must align with the keyway of the firing tube.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide means for loading the round or projectile into the firing tube to assure proper orientation and accurate positioning thereof. Specifically, it is the object of this invention to provide a loading tray for facilitating the loading of a missile-or other such projectile having fins into the firing tube of a gun-launcher.

A further object of the invention is to provide a loading tray with guide means, wherein the projectile is guided with proper orientation from the tray into the firing tube.

Another object of the invention is to provide a missile loading tray adapted for swinging movement with the breach closure member of the gun between operative and inoperative positions.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other attendant objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation view of the loading assembly including the loading tray in operative, loading position with relation to the open breech of the firing tube, and a projectile supported on the tray prior to loading;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation view showing the gun in loaded condition wherein the loading tray is out of its operative position and the breech closure member is in operative, closed position;

FIGURES is an elevational view of the loading tray and support member detached from the breech closure member.

In the drawing, FIGURE 1, reference 2 designates a firing tube of a gun-launcher, cannon, artillery piece or the like (not shown), having a bore 4. The open, breech chamber of the firing tube is designated by reference 6. To adapt the firing tube for delivery of a finned projectile, a groove or keyway Sis formed in bore 4.

Reference 7 designates a cylindrical breech closure member, shown in its open, inoperative position in FIG- URE 1, while reference 9 designates a handle means for swinging the breech closure member between operative and inoperative positions.

To facilitate loading a guided missile into the gunlauncher firing tube, a loading tray 10 is hingedly connected at 12 to suitable support structure 14. The support structure 14, is, in turn, mounted, as by bolts 17 extending through apertures 15, on the breech closure member for swinging movement therewith laterally in a vertical plane at the breech end of the gun tube. Thus, tray 10 is adapted to be selectively moved from an opera- 3,302,525 Patented Feb. 7, 1967 tive position in axial alignment with the breech chamber of the firing tube, as clearly shown in FIGURE 1, to an inoperative position, clear of the firing tube, as depicted in FIGURE 2. While, in the preferred embodiment shown, the tray is connected for movement with breech closure member 7, it is to be understood that the tray could be separately and selectively positioned by other suitable means if desired.

A typical round, projectile or missile is partially shown at 18 in FIGURE 1 with its body portion resting in loading position on the loading tray, said projectile having a plurality of fin or key means 20 circumferentially spaced on its outer periphery.

Loading tray 10 is further defined by an elongated, arcuate or concave plate 22 having bifurcated lugs 24 for pivotal mounting at 12 on support 14, the radius of curvature of the upper surface 26 of plate 22 being substantially the same as that of the firing tube bore. Accordingly, the arcuate, upper surface of the tray forms a longitudinal continuation of the bore when the same is in operative position contiguous the open breech chamber 6 of the firing tube assuring proper coaxial alignment of the elongated projectile placed thereon with the firing tube bore. An adjusting screw, as shown at 34 in FIGURE 3, is provided to permit a degree of adjustment for plate 22. Screw 34 extends through a hole 36 in plate 22 and into an aligned hole provided with mating threads in support 14. Further, spring means (not shown) is disposed around screw 34 between plate 22 and support 14 to continuously bias the plate away from the support.

To serve as a guide means for orienting and accurately guiding the projectile in loading the same from the loading tray into the breech chamber of the firing tube, a guide groove 28 is formed in the upper surface 26 of plate 22. Groove 28 extends axially throughout the entire length of plate 22, the forward end thereof, when the tray is in operative position, terminating contiguous the open end of firing tube groove 8 to form a continuation thereof. A funnel shaped, lead-in channel 30 is formed at the opposite, rearward end of the guide groove on the upper side thereof. This channel is defined by forwardly convergent side walls 32 thereof, the channel being sub stantially V-shaped, as depicted in FIGURES 2 and 3. The angle included by the converging walls may vary as found desirable, however, an angle of 30 has been proved most effective.

When a projectile is to be loaded into the breech of the firing tube, the loading tray is swung laterally from its inoperative position, FIGURE 2, into its operative position, FIGURE 1, placing tray guide groove 28 and bore keyway 8 in coaxial alignment so that key 20 of a projectile loaded onto the tray will be received therein and be guided on axial movement thereof into said bore for travel therethrough.

In the loading cycle, the projectile is roughly oriented by the loader, with the key within 30 of the bottom dead center, prior to resting the same on the tray. As the projectile is supported on the tray and pushed forward into the firing tube, key 20 is guided, projectile rolled by leadin channel 30, and aligned with keyway 8 of the firing tube. Thus, the predetermined, required alignment and orientation of the projectile is obtained automatically during the forward motion thereof in the loading cycle.

From the foregoing it is clearly apparent that there is provided herein, for gun-launchers or the like, a loading tray having guide means which is simple in construction, positive in operation and which assures the required, predetermined orientation of a finned projectile in loading operations.

It is to be understood that the specific embodiment of the invention described is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a gun-launcher for guided missiles including a firing tube, the bore of said firing tube having keyway means formed therein, a breech closure member pivotally mounted for swinging movement laterally between an open and closed position with respect to said firing tube at the loading end thereof; the improvement comprising a loading tray hingedly mounted for movement with said breech closure member, said tray including an elongated plate having a concave upper surface for cradling a missile having fin means placed thereon, guide means formed in said surface including a groove extending the length thereof with the forward end being in continuous, coaxial alignment with said keyway means of the firing tube when the breech closure member is swung into its open position and the tray is swung therewith into loading position, whereby said missile fin means will be received and guided with a predetermined orientation axially into the firing tube.

2. In combination, a loading tray for use in holding a projectile having key means into the breech of a firing tube having keyway means adapted for receiving said key means, said tray comprising: An elongated, arcuate plate formed with a concave upper surface, said plate being mounted contiguous said breech for swinging movement in a vertical plane transverse to the axis of the firing tube from an inoperative position wherein the tray is clear of said breech to an operative position wherein said upper surface is positioned in coaxial, continuous alignment with the open breech of the firing tube; guide means formed in said upper surface including a groove extending the length thereof, one end of said groove being in continuous, coaxial alignment with said keyway means of the firing tube when said tray is in the operative position and the opposite end thereof being provided with a lead-in channel merging with said groove for aligning the key means with the guide groove upon entry thereinto, said lead-in channel having side walls which converge forwardly in the direction of said one end.

3. In a loading assembly for facilitating the loading of a guided missile having fin means into the open breech chamber of a gun-launcher tube, a loading tray hingedly mounted contiguous the breech chamber so that the tray may be selectively swung into substantially coaxial, continuous alignment with the open end of the breech chamber, said tray including: an elongated plate having a concave upper surface for receiving and cradling the missile thereon; guide means including a guide groove formed in said upper surface and extending throughout the length of said surface for receiving a fin of the missile whereby the missile is guided, as the same is slidably moved forwardly into the breech chamber with a predetermined orientation, said guide groove having a narrow, forward end terminating adjacent the breech of the firing tube and a rearwardly divergent mouth at its opposite end for receiving and aligning said fin with said guide groove.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,385,387 9/1945 Taylor 8945 2,699,094 1/1955 Musser S91.704 X 2,907,251 10/1959 Sahlberg 8947 3,151,412 10/1964 Swindle 42-76 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Examiner. 

1. IN A GUN-LAUNCHER FOR GUIDED MISSILES INCLUDING A FIRING TUBE, THE BORE OR SAID FIRING TUBE HAVING KEYWAY MEANS FORMED THEREIN, A BREECH CLOSURE MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT LATERALLY BETWEEN AN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRING TUBE AT THE LOADING END THEREOF; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A LOADING TRAY HINGEDLY MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT WITH SAID BREECH CLOSURE MEMBER, SAID TRAY INCLUDING AN ELONGATED PLATE HAVING A CONCAVE UPPER SURFACE FOR CRADLING A MISSILE HAVING FIN MEANS PLACED THEREON, GUIDE MEANS FORMED IN SAID SURFACE INCLUDING A GROOVE EXTENDING THE LENGTH THEREOF WITH THE FORWARD END BEING IN CONTINUOUS, COAXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID KEYWAY MEANS OF THE FIRING TUBE WHEN THE BREECH CLOSURE MEMBER IS SWUNG INTO ITS OPEN POSITION AND THE TRAY IS SWUNG THEREWITH INTO LOADING POSITION, WHEREBY SAID MISSILE FIN MEANS WILL BE RECEIVED AND GUIDED WITH A PREDETERMINED ORIENTATION AXIALLY INTO THE FIRING TUBE. 